


The Sunflower Necklace

by canadiankazz



Category: L.A. By Night (Web Series), Vampire: The Masquerade
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Angst, Gift Giving
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-12
Updated: 2019-12-12
Packaged: 2021-03-07 21:21:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,172
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21764575
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/canadiankazz/pseuds/canadiankazz
Summary: Jasper gives a gift to Eva on a night she worries she might never see him again. Spoilers through Season 3.
Relationships: Jasper/Eva
Comments: 14
Kudos: 24





	The Sunflower Necklace

**Author's Note:**

>   
Cover by PuzzleDragon
> 
> Wow… this fanfic makes for 35 that I’ve published for LA by Night this year. Vamily, thank you so much for all the positive feedback and encouragement you’ve given me. Thank you Alex and Josephine, for reading my fic and for inspiring me to write more. Most of all, thank you to cravatfiend, without whom nothing would have been written at all.
> 
> This fic was written in reaction to [Alex confirming on his stream that the necklace Eva had been wearing all of season three was a gift from Jasper that she received the night he was kidnapped.](https://clips.twitch.tv/HandsomeDepressedDelicataDendiFace)

The necklace had not been easy to obtain. It was unique, one of a kind, custom made. Jasper had ordered it online, thinking himself stupid for doing it the whole time. Like Eva would want any kind of thing like this from him. He wasn’t even sure what this “thing” was between them. This… relationship. 

She liked him. Why, Jasper had yet to understand. She had given him little gifts almost since the night they had met, everything from something as simple as her time and advice, to books and spells, wards and weapons, healing balms, flowers, rings… and more recently, kisses. The warded pendant she had given him was still around his neck, close to his skin. It was a silver disk adorned with a pentagram and it protected him against attacks from ghosts and spirits. It and the other gifts made Jasper feel special and wanted in a way that had nothing to do with his rather violent specialty skill set. This was a magical thing in a world where most people treated him as the monster he knew he was.

Jasper growled to himself, holding the small package he intended to give to Eva. He tried to tell himself he wasn’t being stupid. She had given him so much, this was just… returning the favour. Sure, that’s it. After all, Kindred repaying one boon with another was a tradition as old as the oldest vampires.

Yeah, that’s what this was. That’s all.

That’s what he told himself, anyways.

Jasper crept up to Eva’s door, silent as mist. His hands shook as he held the delicate little package. He lifted his fist to knock and hesitated.

What was he going to say?

_ “Good evening, Eva. I bought this for you. I hope you like it?” _

Jasper cringed inwardly with another little growl. His stomach flipped. He hadn’t felt this way about anyone in such a long time, not since he was alive. He had royally fucked up _ that _ relationship. The last thing he wanted was to fuck up this one as well.

He twisted the ring she had given him around his finger, fidgeting. _ Moy bagrovyy lepestok_.

Jasper sighed. He was a fool. He shouldn't be doing this.

He really wanted to do this though. She made him happy, and happiness was a rare and delicate thing for him. He had thought himself too cynical and self-destructive to ever be happy like this again. He wanted to repay her for everything. This little token of affection was a start.

Jasper licked his fangs, trying to think of something better to say, trying to calm himself so he wouldn't stutter.

His phone vibrated. Victor was texting and wanted him for the club opening in less than an hour.

Jasper sighed, both relieved that he had to go and also disappointed. He would really rather have spent the night with Eva. They could read or… his mind swam as thoughts of kisses and gentle touches invaded his imagination. She seemed interested in doing _ all kinds _ of things with him he thought himself no longer capable of enjoying. It made him nervous. He wanted to make her happy, but he wasn’t sure if he _ could_.

Maybe it was for the best that he had to go and attend the party. He would see Eva later, after the Maharahni opening, when things were quiet. He would find out then if she liked it and if she wanted to spend the night again. He quickly scribbled a note on a scrap of paper that read “To Eva, from Jasper.” He left the little package with the note on her stoop, knocking quickly three times on the door before vanishing into the woods before the door opened.

Jasper never saw Eva’s expression of confusion and worry when she opened the door. She scanned the area quickly with Auspex and saw no one. She noticed the little package at her feet and picked it up hesitantly. She read the note, smiling at the handwriting. Eva’s smile widened when she held up the necklace and examined it. 

Hanging from a long, dark cord was a small glass vial. Inside the vial was a tiny sunflower, barely an inch and a half long. The vial was topped with a dark stone that she recognized easily as jasper. Eva knew that in the language of the flowers sunflowers represented loyalty, longevity and adoration. She didn’t know if Jasper knew that. She had a book on the language of flowers somewhere in her sanctum. She wondered if Jasper would be interested in reading it. 

Eva sighed, looking around again for her Nosferatu admirer and not finding him. That was a shame. Eva knew that the grand opening of the Maharahni was tonight, and assumed that Victor and Nelli had called Jasper away to attend it. She herself had been invited, but had politely declined. Eva promised herself, as she slipped the pendant around her neck, that she would find Jasper later, and thank him properly for this thoughtful gift. 

Hours passed. Eva waited as patiently as she could for the party to be over and for Jasper to return to his sanctum. He would be tired, no doubt, but she had plans of how she could relax him if he was willing. It would start with a kiss, and would end with them asleep together. What happened between those two points… well, she had her hopes, but she didn’t want to be too forward and push him into doing anything he wasn’t comfortable with. She had to be patient.

As time went on, however, Eva began to feel a sense of dread. By five in the morning, she thought that he should have been back by now. She began to think that maybe he wasn’t coming home, maybe he was going to sleep at the new club, maybe she should message him. 

Dawn was coming and the sad realization came over Eva that she was going to have to sleep alone. She sighed. She enjoyed sharing a bed with him, and sleeping alone after that made her feel a sense of longing she hadn’t experienced in decades.

And still, there was that sense of dread. Something was _ wrong_.

Eva shook her head, her mouth and throat feeling dry. No, Jasper was fine. How much trouble could he get into at a party like this, surely?

She was being silly. Everything was fine.

True, Jasper was very good at getting into trouble. Eva’s thoughts turned to the incident at the Grove wherein Jasper had made it out with two dislocated shoulders, gunshot wounds, half his face burnt away and a metaphorical target painted on his back. And then there was also the incident at the Hacienda, where he had broken almost every bone in his body trying to get her and the others out before the building crumbled around them.

But… this was just a party, right? The opening of a club. He… should be fine.

And then Annabelle called. 

Eva answered immediately. “Hello?” 

“Eva?” Annabelle sounded angry and terrified.

“Yes? What’s wrong?”

“It’s Jasper. We were attacked. They took him. The Camarilla have him. I’m _ so _ sorry.”

Eva couldn't speak. She couldn't think. If her heart had been beating, it would have stopped. The dread inside her swelled like a tsunami engulfing a beach. She clutched the phone to her ear in a tense grip. Her other hand drifted up to her new necklace. She held the vial, her fingers brushing the stone. The little flower inside made a minute, muffled sound against the glass. Eva’s knees gave out and she slowly sank to the ground.

_ Loyalty, longevity and adoration. _

“W-what?” Eva whimpered into the phone.

She was barely listening as Annabelle filled her in on some of the few details they had. The Lasombra were there. They had tried to attack them. Jasper had pounced on one and they both disappeared into darkness.

Eva felt like she was going to be sick. She blinked hard against blood tears that threatened to spill.

“But we think there’s still a chance to save him,” Annabelle continued, “and we’re not going to stop until we do. I have to go, the sun’s coming up, but Victor’s calling an emergency meeting tomorrow. Will you come?”

“Of course,” Eva said, her voice sounding distant. “Yes, I’ll be there.”

“Okay. We’ll find him, Eva.”

“Yes,” she agreed.

“I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

“Alright. Thank you for… letting me know.”

Annabelle sounded surprised. “Of course. We all know how important he is to you. See you tomorrow.”

“Good bye.”

Eva hung up. A red tear trickled down her cheek and she caught it quickly. She was still holding the necklace in her hand.

_ “This is what happens when you share your life with someone,” _ said a voice inside her. _ “You get hurt.” _

She opened her fingers and looked at the little sunflower, at the little jasper stone._ “The hurt is worth it, for the good times,” _ she told herself.

True, their ‘good times’ had been limited so far, but she had faith that there could be more, if they had the chance.

_ "But there might not be any more chances. They’ve got him. He’s good as dead.” _

Eva shook her head against those thoughts, setting her jaw in a tight, determined frown.

_ “No… there’s still a chance. Jasper wouldn’t stop fighting to save me if I were in his place. I must never stop fighting for him.” _

The urge to sleep pulled at her as the dawn approached. Nothing more to be done tonight. Eva wiped her eyes and stood up to go to her lonely bed.

  
  


~ Two weeks later ~

Jasper lay with his head in Eva’s lap as she read aloud in a low, soothing voice. Jasper had shyly requested that they read a novel together, to try to relax and escape in the little moments of privacy they could obtain. His wounds were still sore and raw around the edges, but he was slowly healing. 

Eva insisted he rest as much as possible. She hadn’t gone so far as to suggest she sit on him, but she wanted to. The thought of it made her stomach flutter and her face want to blush. She had already promised herself that later, when he was fully healed, she would find out how far he was willing to go with her in terms of touching, nudity and blush of life. 

Jasper seemed hesitant in going that far with her, but still interested. If he had a chance to be with someone like Eva who could see past the Nosferatu curse, and love him despite his horrible, murderous past, then he was going to take every chance he had to be happy with her. He was also willing to allow Eva to explore his body… eventually. That was a big step that would have to be taken gradually.

They had already almost lost each other too many times. Every little moment of happiness they could steal between them counted.

“Snow-white! Snow-white! O Lady clear! O Queen beyond the Western Seas! O light to us that wander here, amid the world of woven trees!” Eva read. “Gilthoniel! O Elbereth! Clear are thy eyes and bright thy breath! Snow-white! Snow-white! We sing to thee, in a far land beyond the sea.”

Eva paused as Jasper shifted. He winced with a faint hiss. She looked down at his pale face. His hood was off and his skin was grey against the white of her dress.

“Are you alright?” she asked softly.

“Yeah,” he assured her. He brought a hand up and touched the sunflower and jasper pendant that still hung around her neck. “I’m glad you’re wearing this.”

She smiled and closed her hand around both his fingers and the pendant. “I haven’t taken it off since the night you gave it to me.”

“I’ve noticed.” Jasper licked his fangs and stroked the back of Eva’s hand with his thumb. “I don’t think anyone else has though.”

“It never came up. There… wasn’t really any chance for it while we were saving you.”

Jasper took Eva’s hand off the necklace and brought her knuckles to his lips in a soft kiss.

“I’m still sorry I lost the one you gave me. The warded one,” Jasper said.

“You didn’t lose it. It was taken from you. I’ll get you a new one, and a new ring,” Eva told him.

“You don’t have to…” he started to protest.

“Ah!” she scolded gently. “You didn’t have to get me this one either.”

“True,” he muttered with a little smile. “I was so nervous.”

Eva leaned down and kissed his forehead. “I know.”

“Will you… always wear it?”

“I will,” she promised, kissing his skin again. “Now… shall I continue?”

Jasper tilted his head up for a proper up-side down kiss, which he received. “Yes, please,” he said with a fangy little smile.

He settled again quietly as Eva refound her place and continued to read.

**Author's Note:**

> The novel they're reading is _The Fellowship of the Ring._
> 
> Comments and kudos are always appreciated!


End file.
